This week’s Arlington Pet of the Week is Cooper, a Mali Uromastyx lizard.
Here is what his owner Ted had to say about his scaly friend:
Many families in Arlington enjoy the company of dogs or cats, but our family cuddles up with Cooper, our Mali Uromastyx lizard. Cooper joined our family in the summer of 2010 as our fourth lizard of two bearded dragons and two uromastyx.
Initially, my father had reservations about adopting another lizard but was persuaded when we let him name him. Cooper was named for Cooper Union, my father’s alma mater, and has been a member of the family ever since.
Cooper didn’t start out on the best of terms with the family as within days of adopting him, we almost lost him; literally. We took him in the car for a ride one day only to have him squirm out of our hands and quickly scoot underneath the car seat.
We tried baiting him out with blueberries (one of his favorite foods) but he wouldn’t budge! He was too far under the seat for us to grab him so my brother eventually rescued him by taking the entire seat out of the car! We scooped him up before he could run under another and thus Cooper was saved.
These days Cooper leads a mostly sedentary life (as many uromastyx do) hidden in his rock cave. He doesn’t venture out often but when he does he is either basking under his heat lamp or eating meals (consisting of kibble, greens, and occasional treats such as dandelions). When he’s out we take the opportunity to bathe him, play with him and give him our adoring love.
Want your pet to be considered for the Arlington Pet of the Week? Email [email protected] with a 2-3 paragraph bio and at least 3-4 horizontally-oriented photos of your pet. Please don’t send vertical photos, they don’t fit in our photo galleries!
Each week’s winner receives a sample of dog or cat treats from our sponsor, Becky’s Pet Care, along with $100 in Becky’s Bucks. Becky’s Pet Care is the winner of six consecutive Angie’s List Super Service Awards, the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters’ 2013 Business of the Year and a proud supporter of the Arlington County Pawsitively Prepared Campaign.
Becky’s Pet Care provides professional dog walking and pet sitting in Arlington and all of Northern Virginia, as well as PetPrep training courses for Pet Care, CPR and emergency preparedness.